The history of toys — tin soldiers

Some of many people’s greatest childhood pals and companions come from fairy tales and toys they knew when they were young. One of Hans Christian Anderson’s most famous fairy tales begins like this: «There were once five-and-twenty tin soldiers, who were all brothers, for they had all been made out of the same tin spoon..»

Some of many people’s greatest childhood pals and companions come from fairy tales and toys they knew when they were young. One of Hans Christian Anderson’s most famous fairy tales begins like this: “There were once five-and-twenty tin soldiers, who were all brothers, for they had all been made out of the same tin spoon. They shouldered arms and looked straight before them, and wore a splendid uniform, red and blue. They were, in short, not soldiers, but a true wonder.” Anderson wrote the tale “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” in the mid-19th century, a time when a popular, new toy appeared on the market – tin soldiers. Watch RTG TV’s new programme and join host Alexander Uvarov as he discovers just what the main character in Anderson’s story looked like and the story behind its birth.